Facts About Autism Spectrum Disorder

Defining ASD:
• Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are a complex set of neurological disorders that severely impair social, communicative and cognitive functions.
• People with ASD suffer from cognitive impairments but some have typical or above average IQs.
• Between 30% to 50% of people with autism have seizures.
• Autism was originally believed to be a form of schizophrenia brought on by a traumatic experience or bad parenting. This is not the case.
Autism Prevalence
• In the US in 2014, the CDC and Prevention’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network determined that approximately 1 in 42 for boys, and 1 in 189 for girls, is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.
Causes of Autism
• It is not clear what causes
• Scientists are unsure what, if any, environmental triggers may be involved in autism.
• There were beliefs in the late 1990s and early 2000s that vaccines may cause autism. But this has not been proven.
Diagnosis
a) In infants as young as 6-18 months, babies may:
– Fixate on objects
– Fail to respond to people
b) Older babies and toddlers:
– May fail to respond to their names
– Avoid eye contact
– Have a limited understanding of others emotions
– Engage in repetitive movement like rocking or flapping the arms.
– Be fixated with keeping toys or objects in order instead of playing with them

Facts About Autism Spectrum Disorder

Defining ASD: • Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are a complex set of neurological disorders that severely impair social, communicative and cognitive functions. • People with ASD suffer from cognitive impairments but some have typical or above average IQs. • Between 30% to 50% of people with autism have seizures. • Autism was originally believed to be a form of schizophrenia brought on by a traumatic experience or bad parenting. This is not the case. Autism Prevalence • In the US in 2014, the CDC and Prevention’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network determined that approximately 1 in 42 for boys, and 1 in 189 for girls, is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. Causes of Autism • It is not clear what causes • Scientists are unsure what, if any, environmental triggers may be involved in autism. • There were beliefs in the late 1990s and early 2000s that vaccines may cause autism. But this has not been proven. Diagnosis a) In infants as young as 6-18 months, babies may: - Fixate on objects - Fail to respond to people b) Older babies and toddlers: - May fail to respond to their names - Avoid eye contact - Have a limited understanding of others emotions - Engage in repetitive movement like rocking or flapping the arms. - Be fixated with keeping toys or objects in order instead of playing with them